In October 2011, Disturbed entered a hiatus.[2] Draiman announced in the following year that he was working on an industrial rock/metal project with Geno Lenardo, formerly of Filter, which was later named Device.[3][4]

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Draiman was born in Brooklyn, New York in the United States to Yehuda and Miriam Draiman, Israeli-Americans, on 13 March 1973.[5] His father, Yehuda "Y. J." Draiman, is a candidate for mayor of Los Angeles in the 2017 elections. He is a mechanical engineer, healthcare administrator, small-business owner, member of the Northridge East Neighborhood Council, among other roles, and is completing a Ph.D. in energy conservation.[6] He ran a political campaign for mayor of Los Angeles in 2013, but was not successful.[7] Draiman's brother, Benjamin (performing professionally as Ben Draiman),[8][9][10] is a ambient/folk rock musician who lives in Israel and performs in Jerusalem.[11][12] Benjamin is also a psychologist.[13] Draiman's grandmother also lives in Israel.[11][14][15]

After returning to the US, in 1992, Draiman commenced pre-law studies at Loyola University Chicago.[11] In 1996, he graduated the university with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Government, Philosophy, and Business Administration.[16][17] Initially considering taking up offers to matriculate and study at law school, Draiman realised that, although criminal defense law was the only area of law that interested him, he could not "really look at myself in the mirror and say I'm going to lie for a living and protect criminals".[11] During his university studies, Draiman also worked as a bank teller and in phone sales.[11]

After graduating from university, Draiman commenced working as an administrative assistant in a healthcare facility.[11] After his first year, he had earned an administrator's licence and commenced running his own healthcare facility.[11] For five years before his joining Disturbed and the band's signing with Giant Records, Draiman was a healthcare administrator.[11]

On 25 September 2011, Draiman married ex-WWE DivaLena Yada and as of 2013 Lena was pregnant with their first child, a son. According to Draiman on Device's official Facebook page, on September 12, 2013, at 12:58 AM, David and Lena's son, Samuel Bear Isamu Draiman, was born after 29 hours of labor. Also on Device's Facebook page, David wrote, "Both mother and child are healthy and well. I thank the powers that be for this greatest of gifts."[18]

Draiman has expressed dissatisfaction with rock musicians who collect Nazi memorabilia saying, "I don't give a fuck who you are. If you're going to brandish Nazi symbolism, I'm going to have a problem with you because I don't understand how anybody could think it's OK to wear something on their body that symbolizes the annihilation and genocide of my people. I'm not OK with that and there is no excuse and there is no explanation".[14] Draiman wrote the song "Never Again" (on the album Asylum) "about the Holocaust and the people who deny it, like Ahmadinejad. And part of our live show includes a video presentation depicting him as the new Hitler."